When St. Joseph’s softball team was canceled, this junior picked up a bat with the boys instead
Saint Joseph’s Catholic Academy’s junior softball catcher was disappointed when she found out the school wouldn’t have a team, but she was determined not to let the cancellation get in the way of playing another sport she loves.
Katie Pase made history for Saint Joseph’s Academy baseball on April 9, becoming the first female starter for its baseball team. The junior received the start in right field, playing a position that she hadn’t played since early middle school. She and her teammates (all boys) defeated DuBois Central Catholic 13-7.
Pase wouldn’t be with the baseball team if Saint Joe’s softball team hadn’t canceled its 2022 season due to low participation numbers. She looked to play softball her freshman year, but COVID-19 wiped away that opportunity. Last year allowed her to take the field as a sophomore in a 1-11 season, but this season was totally different.
“At first, I was very nervous and I wasn’t very sure that I was going to play baseball,” Pase said. “But then I said, ‘No. I kind of have to prove a point that if they’re going to take away our sports, we’re going to keep working to play other sports.’ ”
She felt badly for the other girls on the team that weren’t able to continue playing. Each of the girls dedicated their lives to participating in the sport and fought hard to create the program in 2019. Pase looked to jump over to the baseball program to continue to play a sport that she loved, albeit with a bat with a larger barrel, a smaller ball and a larger field.
Softball was just one of the girls sports at Saint Joe’s that was canceled this year, along with girls soccer and girls basketball. Pase is looking to make a positive impact on participation in sports by female athletes at her school.
“With the girls basketball season getting canceled, it was very discouraging because it was a thought in the back of my mind that it wasn’t going to be a softball team,” Pase said. “I was also worried that I wouldn’t be able to play if there wasn’t a softball team. Then, I was happy when I realized that I could play baseball and just keep up with a sport during the season.”
Saint Joe’s senior catcher Thomas Delahoy said Pase shows up to practice early, puts in extra work by swinging often in the batting cages and taking extra fly balls and brings a catcher’s mentality of knowing all of the positions to the team.
In the dugout, the two often pick each other’s brains about how to lead their teammates.
“I feel like she’s transitioned really well,” Delahoy said. “Being in practice the first day, I noticed that she was right there with us. She wasn’t really falling behind and she was doing the drills that we were doing really well. I think she’s accomplished that through hard work, perseverance and it takes a lot of courage even to come out here and do that. I think it’s amazing that she’s doing it.”
Wolfpack head coach Ryan Hendrick often touts the effort that Pase puts into practice. Not only is she one to lead by example, but she leads by her words, too. She points to her pitcher when they strike out the batter and she’s in the field or claps when she’s watching her teammates are at bat.
Hendrick wants the rest of his players to be like her.
“If I could take her attitude and effort and love for the game and echo that to every player, we’d never lose a game,” he said.
Her spot on the team was earned through her grit and determination to be the best of the best.
“She knows her role — whatever that may be,” Hendrick said. “It changes from game to game and situation to situation and whatever you ask her to do, she will do it and she’ll excel at whatever she’s asked to do.”
This story was originally published April 23, 2022 at 6:00 AM.
